1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to padding devices, and in particular, to an accessory pad used in combination with a football or hockey shoulder pad.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Football players have all too often suffered shoulder and collar bone injuries due to lateral shoulder impacts. The impacts may result from a collision with the ground or another player. The injuries resulting from these impacts to the shoulder and collar bone typically occur because of the position of the shoulder in relation to the rest of the body of the player. The shoulders are the most lateral extension of the upper torso of the body and thus susceptible to lateral impact forces. The susceptibility to shoulder injuries is heightened in players having well developed shoulder muscles. In players having well developed shoulder muscles, their shoulders extend outward well beyond their hips and absorb the brunt of the lateral impact forces. Consequently, the players suffer injury because such a small area of the shoulder, in particular the deltoid region, is exposed to the extreme impact forces due to lateral collisions.
To protect the shoulders from injury, players of hockey, football, and other contact sports have generally worn shoulder pads. Shoulder pads are generally constructed of a hard outer shell of thermoformed plastic. Cushions are attached to the underside of the hard outer shells. The prior art shoulder pads typically provide effective protection from impacts to the top, front, and back portion of the shoulders and upper body. However, many prior art shoulder pads have failed to address the aforementioned problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 579,825, issued to Dora Harrison on Mar. 30, 1897; U.S. Pat. No. 2,369,229, issued to Josephine Hamlin on Feb. 13, 1945; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,808,589, issued to Else Tyroler on Oct. 8, 1957; all disclose garment shields or garment shields in combination with garment shoulder pads.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,320,705, issued to George C. Reynolds on Jun. 1, 1943, discloses a Kidney Guard for attachment to a waist or girdle which includes a fibre guard molded with an integral projecting ledge on the outer face of the guard. The projecting ledge is horizontally disposed to serve as a support for the belt portion of the trousers of a user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,514,862, issued to Anthony A'Costa on May 7, 1985, discloses a Gun Recoil Protector which includes a main body portion and an arm protector. The main body portion fits over the shoulder and is held in place by suitable strap means. The arm protector is secured to the main body portion in the vicinity of the shoulder.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,216, issued to Walter Wortberg on Mar. 4, 1986, discloses an Impact Dissipator. The bell-shaped dissipator includes a shell-like outer layer made of an elastic rubber substance. Within the shell is a viscous fluid layer bonded to the outer shell.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,893, issued to Andrew Meyers et al. on Apr. 7, 1987, discloses a Shoulder Pad Brace which includes a pair of shock absorbing saddle assemblies and cups for protecting the acromioclavicular and glenohumeral joints of a user. Each saddle assembly includes a resilient, ring-shaped member for seating over and conforming to its respective acromioclavicular joint. The cups overlie each saddle assembly. Additionally, each cup includes anterior and posterior portions for protecting the front of the glenohumeral joint, and the back of the scapula respectively. Finally, each saddle assembly includes an upper arm pad which is attached to its respective saddle by means of an omni-directional hinge joint.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,931, issued to James C. Wingo on Jan. 22, 1991, discloses a Shock Absorbing Pad Structure for Athletic Equipment which includes a foam member having an undulated configuration formed by a plurality of elevations and depressions. The elevations and depressions are arranged in a staggered relationship with respect to one another. The foam member is disposed within a flexible, substantially air impermeable enclosure.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,313, issued to M. Neuhalfen on Oct. 29, 1991, discloses a Football Shoulder Pad With Outer Pads which includes a pair of relatively rigid arch portions which extend over the shoulders of a wearer and a pair of resilient pads which is removably secured to the front surfaces of the arch portions.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,941, issued to Christopher A. White on Nov. 12, 1991, discloses an Apparatus for Reducing the Occurrence of Shoulder Dislocation Subluxation During Athletic Activity which includes an athletic brace to be worn with conventional shoulder pads. The athletic brace includes a wide elastic member that is internally wrapped about the upper arm and brought across the chest for attachment to the front of the shoulder pads.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,542, issued to Robert M. Zide on Apr. 8, 1992, discloses a Front-Lock Stabilizer for Protective Shoulder Pads having breastplates and backplates. The breastplates of the shoulder pads are closed by laced interdigitated plates fixedly secured to the vertical edges of the breastplates. The backplates are closed by a plurality of rigid plates extending between and fixedly secured thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,101, issued to Rogers Douglas on Jul. 14, 1992, discloses a shoulder pad which has auxiliary Impact Distributing Pads designed to conform to the shape of the wearer's shoulder. A hook-and-loop fastening strap is used to enable a series of wedge-like pads to be moved to various positions on the inside of the shoulder pad.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.